Lost
by Goldbryn Callow Lyte
Summary: Glitch seems to be missing...will Cain be able to find him?


Cain had been looking for Glitch for what seemed like hours. No one seemed to know where the advisor was and Cain had already searched his usual haunts. His room lay empty, his lab left running noisily without him, the kitchens left unpilfered, and the library was unscathed and still in order. The disappearance of the once permanently addled headcase was not a new thing, even with his newly reinstated brain.

His synapses, Cain discovered, still randomly fired and his memory would blip on and off the radar even months after his recovery.

This was why Cain was worried. Glitch almost always stayed in places that were the most familiar—which helped greatly decrease his "glitching."

Cain was immensely happy for this.

And the few times he wandered off, he had not gone that far and was easily found…or he found the way himself—the familiar surrounds helping to jog old memories.

But Cain had been more on edge lately than usual about Glitch's forgetful tendencies. The Northern Palace was very soon to be finished, new renovations complete and all traces of the Dark Witch's regime scrubbed away like old grime. But that just meant Finaqua would soon become another seasonal palace for the royals and he, Glitch, and the others would be sent back to the main palace.

And Cain loathed that day because he was scared the sudden change to unfamiliar territory would cause Glitch's memory to lapse yet again…though he was sure the Ambrose part of his brain knew the main palace far better than Glitch did.

Cain could only hope.

Stalking down the same hallway for what seemed like t he hundredth time, Cain finally caught sight of someone who might know Glitch's whereabouts.

As he rushed towards her, DG turned and smiled, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "Why Mister Cain," she said brightly. "Why are you in such a hurry?" Cain grinned and bowed his head slightly in respect. DG waved him off with a scoff. "Don't do that." She snorted, shifting the large basket on her arm. "So whatcha need?"

"Have you seen Glitch anywhere?"

"Sure did. Az and I saw him about an hour ago out in the gardens."

"The gardens?" Cain looked slightly more surprised than DG had ever seen him before. She laughed.

"Yeah. We were picnicking out there and he passed us. Said something about the Hedge Maze…"she trailed off thoughtfully.

If it were even possible, Cain's surprise doubled.

"The GARDENS! And you didn't stop him!"

DG looked like she had just been slapped. "Of course I didn't stop him!" She huffed, balling her fist and putting it rather angrily on her hip. "I don't think Glitch needs a babysitter OR for us to coddle him!" Cain found himself quelling slightly under her ruffled rage. "Do you think he wants us chasing him around like he was a small and incompetent child?" She looked expectantly at Cain who's steely resolve was quickly slipping away.

"I was just—" he started, but was cut off by an exasperated sigh and dramatic eye roll from the princess.

"I know what you were doing Cain," she couldn't help but smile at him. "And I know he appreciates it…ESPECIALLY if he is lost…But all I'm saying is don't become Over-Protective-Guy!" she gave him a small wink. "It's a real turnoff in large doses if you catch my drift."

With that she shifted her basket again, gave him a small wave, and headed off down the hallway towards the kitchens.

Thinking briefly on what DG had said, he told himself he should just not worry about it and just go do something else…but that itching and insane need to find the zipperhead won out yet again and he set off resolutely to the gardens.

The maze was huge. There were a few ways you could go to make it quickly through to the lake without getting lost, but only those who had lived there for many seasons (or even annuals) knew those by heart.  
And he was certain that Glitch did not know them…Hell, _he_ didn't know them.

So picking a direction he set off…left, right, left, dead-end, back, right, straight, left, left, dead-end…it went on forever, all the hedges and bushes looking the same at every turn. He had all but given up hope of finding Glitch (let alone finding his own way out) when he turned a corner that should have been a complete dead-end.

On a small marbled bench set out for weary maze travelers, sat Glitch, his back to the entrance of the hedge alcove. He was humming happily, paying no mind to the world around him and only staring ahead at the lush green hedge.

"Hey there Sweetheart." Cain said, walking closer.

Glitch turned in surprise, a wild grin splitting his face. "Cain!" He threw himself off the bench and tackled Cain with an all consuming hug. "You're here! I didn't think you'd ever find me!"

Cain laughed and found himself looking down into Glitch's smiling face, his hands lifting to run through the advisor's now much shorter hair. "You know," he ruffled Glitch's hair playfully as he pulled back a bit. "If you're going to wander off like this, we're going to need to make you some maps so you won't get lost."

Glitch leaned forward so that their noses touched. "Who said I was lost?" He closed the distance between them and kissed Cain sweetly on the lips. Pulling away he grabbed Cain's hand in his own, smiling so brightly Cain thought it rivaled both suns. "Whose to say I wasn't just waiting here for you to find me?"

Fini!


End file.
